Count Aleksander Nikolayevich Samoylov (russian: Александр Николаевич Самойлов) (1744 – 1 November 1814) was a Russian general and statesman. Alexander Samoylov was born into the family of

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Nikolay Samoylov Nikolai Aleksandrovich Samoylov (russian: Николай Александрович Самойлов; born 3 January 1980) is a Russian former professional footballer. Club career He made his debut in the Russian Premier League in 2000 for FC ...

. He started his military service in 1760 as a soldier of

Leib-Guard The Russian Imperial Guard, officially known as the Leib Guard (russian: Лейб-гвардия ''Leyb-gvardiya'', from German ''Leib'' "body"; cf. Life Guards / Bodyguard) were military units serving as personal guards of the Emperor of Ru ...

Semyonovsky Regiment. Later he was moved to the frontline forces and took part in the Russo-Turkish War, 1768–1774 and, for his part in the taking of

Silistra Silistra ( bg, Силистра ; tr, Silistre; ro, Silistra) is a town in Northeastern Bulgaria. The town lies on the southern bank of the lower Danube river, and is also the part of the Romanian border where it stops following the Danube. Sil ...

, received the Order of St. George of 4th degree. The rise to power of his relative

Prince Potemkin Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (, also , ;, rus, Князь Григо́рий Алекса́ндрович Потёмкин-Таври́ческий, Knjaz' Grigórij Aleksándrovich Potjómkin-Tavrícheskij, ɡrʲɪˈɡ ...

led to a comital title being bestowed upon Samoilov in 1775. After that, he obtained quick promotion: in 1775 he was appointed a member of commission for the trial of Yemelyan Pugachev. Also he was promoted to ''kamer-yunker'' (

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

) and became the chairman of the State Council of Imperial Russia, which existed in the reign of Catherine II in 1776–1787. In 1783 he commanded the

Crimean Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

Chasseur Corps and was prominent in the campaign that led to the Russian annexation of the Crimean Khanate. He was

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

during the Russo-Turkish War, 1787–1792 , commanding five infantry regiments, two corps of chasseurs, seven

Cossack The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...

regiments, and forty cannons. In 1788, he distinguished himself in the taking of Ochakov and was awarded the Order of St. George of 2nd degree. In 1789 he took part in the taking of Bendery and Kaushan, serving under Prince Potemkin. He received the Order of Alexander Nevsky for that campaign. On 12 December 1790, he commanded the left wing of the army of Alexander Suvorov in the storm of Izmail and was awarded the

Order of St. Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir (russian: орден Святого Владимира) was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer ...

of 1st degree. For his efforts in bringing about the peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire, Catherine II personally decorated him with the

Order of St. Andrew The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called (russian: Орден Святого апостола Андрея Первозванного, translit=Orden Svyatogo apostola Andreya Pervozvannogo) is the highest order conferred by both the ...

. On 17 September 1792, he was appointed

Prosecutor General of Russia The Prosecutor General of Russia (also Attorney General of Russia, russian: Генеральный прокурор Российской Федерации, Generalʹnyy prokuror Rossiyskoy Federatsii) heads the system of official prosecution i ...

of the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, replacing the seriously ill prince

Alexander Vyazemsky Prince Alexander Alekseevich Vyazemsky (russian: Александр Алексеевич Вяземский; 14 August 1727 – 20 January 1793) was one of the trusted dignitaries of Catherine the Great, Catherine II, who, as the Prosecutor general ...

. Upon his accession to the throne, emperor Paul I dismissed Samoylov. Alexander Samoilov married princess

Troubetzkoy The House of Trubetskoy (English), Трубецкие (Russian), Трубяцкі ( Belarusian), ''Trubecki'' (Polish), ''Trubetsky'' ( Ruthenian), Трубецький (Ukrainian), ''Troubetzkoy'' (French), ''Trubic'' (Croatian), ''Trubetski'' ...

and had one son, Nicholas, who did not leave issue from his marriage to Countess Yuliya Skavronsky.

General Raevsky Nikolay Nikolayevich Raevsky (; — ) was a Russian general and statesman who achieved fame for his feats of arms during the Napoleonic Wars. His family left a lasting legacy in Russian society and culture. Early life Nikolay Raevsky was born ...

was his nephew.

External links

* *
Biography at the Official site of the Office of Public Prosecutor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samoylov, Alexander Nikolayevich Russian nobility Russian generals 1744 births 1814 deaths Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Second Degree Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)